Oscillatable baseball game board



p 1952 H. P. HUTCHINS OSCILLATABLE BASEBALL GAME BOARD 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 24, 1949 O I i a 8 I1 .5 l E w riv if Harry #2 Hutch/ms H. P. HUTCHINS V OSCILLATABLE BASEBALL GAME BOARD April 1, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 12 Filed May 24, 1949 IN V EN TOR.

A ril I, 1952 H. P. HUTCHINS OSCILLATABLE BASEBALL GAME BOARD 5 Sheets-Sheet s Filed May 24, 1 949 H i AV'H 1.93M

. INVENTOR. Harry F. /7u 20/7/775' H. P. H UTCHlNS OSCILLATABLE BASEBALL GAME BOARD A ril 1, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 24, 1949 INVENTOR. Harry F? Huzch/ns April 1, 1952 H. P. HUTCHINS OSCILLATABLE BASEBALL GAME BOARD 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 24, 1949 7 INVENTOR. Harry P. Hutch/71s Patented Apr. 1, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to game boards and more particularly to a board upon which a game simulating baseball may be played,and it consists in the constructions, arrangements and combinations herein described and claimed.

It is an object of the invention to provide a game board upon which may be played a game, by two contestants, sitting opposite each other, wherein the play of each is modified by the play of the other, and the playing of neither being visible to the other until both plays have been completed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a game board having oppositely positioned control means, each to be operated by a player, and each control means remaining dormant no matter how the controls may be set until the controls of both sides are set.

A further object of the invention is to provide a game board having oppositely positioned control means, with an interposed field responding to various combinations of the two control means, but failing to respond to any manipulation of the controls of a single control means without the setting of the opposed control means.

A further object of the invention is to provide a game board upon which may be played a game simulating baseball, having a field representing positions, and other elements of a baseball game, with control means respectively representing Ins and Outs both of which control means must be set to pre-elected combinations before any play is effected upon the field.

A further object of the invention is to provide a game board upon which may be played a game simulating baseball, having a field properly desig-- hated and supplied with indicia representing positions and activities with a control means for the side representing the Outs, which said control system will enable the player to select the throw to be made (as well as to select the activities of the men in the field), while the other control means provides for activities analogous'to that of a batter who will hat a ball to any pre-determined position in the field, the result of such batting depending upon the positioning and activities of the field score.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a game board upon which may be played, by two contestants, a gam simulating the game of baseball, wherein every play is first mentally, and then physically pre-determined, and no play or any part of the play, depending upon chance.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention will be apparent during the followz ing description and accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a top plan view of the game board;

Figure 2 is a horizontal cross section immediately above the base of the game board illustrating the pivot pins of the pitcher-fielder controls and the pivot pin for the batter control and play revealing disk;

Figure 3 is a similar view with the batterfielder and pitcher controls installed upon their respective pivot pins;

Figure 4 is a horizontal cross section above the batter control;

Figure 5 is a horizontal section through the game board directly above the play revealing control means;

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the game board; and

Figure '7 is a section taken on the line 1--1 of Figure 1. I

Attention is now invited to Figures 1, 6 and 7 of the drawings wherein there is shown a game board generally indicated by the reference character [0. The game board comprises a base board I I of any suitable dimensions mounted upon feet I I, and supported above the board II by means of spacer strips l2 there is a board [3, the latter in turn having secured thereon a very thin sheet of cardboard HI having printed-thereon a baseball field I5 as well as other essential features as will be explained hereinafter.

Between the base board II and the board 13, the fielder, pitcher, batter and play revealing controls are operatively mounted, reference first being made to Figure 2 of the drawings, wherein it will be seen that the base board II is provided with opposed playing ends namely a fielder-pitcher end It and a batter end H. The fielder-pitcher end bears notations R. F., Pitcher, C. F., S, S. and L. F. and associated with each of the field positions there appear the words Rest" and Play with indicating marks IB and I9 cooperating with play controlling means presently to be described. Adjacent the word "Pitcher" the legends Good Pitch" and Bad Pitch appear with indicators 20 and 2! thereadjacent. Upright pins 22 are mounted in the board II, a pair being arranged in advance of the field and pitcher notations, these pins functioning as stop means for the controlling means. Pivot pins 23, 23, 23", 23a and 23b are also mounted in the base board, there being one for each of the field positions and the pitcher. and to one side of each of the field positions there is an indicator 24, which may be merely a colored mark. Medially of the board II, four symbols 25 aredisclosed, to indicate a Hit upon proper manipulation of the control means. There are also symbols 26, 21 and 28 to indicate respectively a Strike, Ball, and Foul.

V The batters end I1 embodies spaced notations R F., C. F., S. 5., L. F., and the word Wait." Respective arrows 29, 30, 3|, Hand 33 are aligned with respective notations to indicate the position of the batters control setting.

The board I I is formed with an-aperture 34 at a suitable point between the ends I6 and I1 through which an assembly bolt 35 is disposed, the bolt also mounting certain play controlling means, presently to be described.

Reference is now made to Figure .3 of the drawings, wherein it will be seen that upon each of the pivot pins 23, 23', 23" and'23b an oscillatable play indicator 36 is mounted, each indi cator having an 0" depicted thereon at such positions as to correspond with the locations of respective Hit symbols on the board II. The Pitcher indicator 31 is oscillatable upon the pivot pin 23a and hasa rectangular shutter member 38, within which there is formed a Foul slot 39 and a Ball slot 46 so located as lto register with the strike indication 26, the ball indication 21 and the foul indication 28 on the board under certain movement of the shutter as'will be explained. Since the shutter 38 must pass inwardly toward and beyond the assembly bolt 35, an arcuate slot 4| is formed in the adjacent edge of the shutter.

Mounted on the assembly bolt there is a circular disc'42 ,(see Figure 4), suitablyspaced above the board II and the indicators 36 and 31, by means of a washer 43. This disc will be termed the Batter disc since it is employed to modify or determine the play of the setting of the fielders and pitcher indicators 36 and 31.

The disc has an upstanding knob 44 for readily rotating it to selected, positions of R. F., C. R, -S. S., L. F." and Wait. An indicator line 45'is provided on the disc so as to insure proper positioning of the disc to a desired play indicated by the reference characters 29 to 33. The disc '42 is further formed with openings 41 and 43, the opening .41 adapted to register with the Strike notation 26 and the Ball notation .21 on. the board II and the slot :48 is adapted to register with the foul slot 39 of the shutter 38 under varying positioning of the pitcher indica- .tor31. Inwardly of the periphery of the disc 42 openings .49, 56, 6| and 52 are formed adapted jtoregiSter with ,the Hit notations 2-5 on the board II or with the Out notations carried on the play indicators 36. A play revealing disc 33 is rotatably supported upon-the pin v35, spaced above thebatter disc 42 by meansof a washer 54,

and as may beseen inF-igure .5 is formed with an eccentric portion 55 occupying a position .adjacent the batters end I1 of the game ,boardand j -.an enlarged portion 56 concentric vwith the pin .'.3.5,' adjacent the pitchers end of the board.

.Open'ings 51.1andi56 are formed through the cocentric portion :55 of the .disc adapted to register respectively with the Strike and Ball open- .ingl41 of-the disc 42..to-exp,ose the notation 2.6 or 21 on the board ,II, which-will depend upon the setting of the pitcher indicator 3.1. .A foul opening 59is also formed through the disc 53 adapted to align with theslot 4,8.of,the disc 42 to expose jthe' Foul notation 28 on the board LI. Addi- .ItiOnalQpenings s60, 6 2 .and 63 are ,provided in play revealing disc 63 comrilemental to the; 1775" ioul symbol 2.8, and also the .Out" symbolatleft Hit notations 25 on the board H. openings 64, 65, 66, and 61 are also formed in the disc 53 so positioned. as to expose the play indicator 24 on the board II. V V

A washer 6B is positioned upon the bolt 35 for support and spacing of combined cover and shield board 69, the cover portion thereof being formed with openings 51', 58', 59', 66, 6|, 62, 63, corresponding to openings '51 to 61 of the play revealing disc 53.

In order that the selection of play may not be known to either of the players, the board 69 is scored along parallel longitudinal lines to form respective shields 16 which may be moved to vertical positions as clearly shown in Figures 1, cyand'fl. Any suitable means may be employed for supporting the shields 10 in their operative positions and in the present instance, a tongue II is formed at respective ends of the shields, bent rearwardly to rest upon the base board I. When the shields 16 are in their upright operative .po-

sitions the pitcher-field and batter ends I6 and I1 are exposed to the view of each respective player, but concealed to his opponent.

The board 69 is formed with an arcuate slot .12 through which a handle 13 may project, the

Procedure of play and result The pitcher indicator '31 may be set .for either a Good Pitch or a Bad Pitch and the batter may Wait if he anticipates a Bad Pitch" or he may .Hit if he expects a Good Pitch." Thus, if the pitcher indicator 31 is moved to the notation Good Pitch and the batter has moved the batter disc 42 to the Wait position the Strike notation 26 will appear at the aligned strike openings; but if the pitcher elects to move his indicator 31 to the Bad Pitch notation, and the batter has his .disc set on the Wait notation, a Ball indication will appear in the aligned ball openings. 7 Pitcher, batter and fielder operations andresults If the pitcher moves his indicator -31 to the position of Good Pitch and the fielder indicator 36 is set to play left field, while thebatter has moved his disc to play left V-field, the result will be indicated as an Out in the opening 6| by reason of the fact that the Out" symbol on the left field, indicator 36 had-been moved to align with the opening 49 of the disc 42. However, if the fielder had not played :left field the '31 was moved to the .full line position shown in Figure 3, with thefoul opening 39 aligned with the field would be exposed, representing a combined Foul-Out, which would be the logical result from a Bad Pitch. However, if the fielder had not played left field, the result would still be indicated as a foul, and in addition, by reason of the fact that the left field indicator 36 would be in the dotted line position shown in Figure 3, or at Best the Hit symbol 25 would be exposed, resulting in a combined Foul-Hit and charged against the batter as a foul strike. The same results will be attained at the other three fields, namely R. F., C. F and S. S.

The start of a game Will involve the shields It! set in upright positions, so that neither of the players may see the moves made by the Pitcher- Fielders or the Batters setting. The field indicators 36 must be at Best position and the pitcher indicator 3! at the Pitcher position. The handle 13 is moved to open position as clearly shown in Figure 1, moving the play revealing disc 53 so as to properly position the openings therein with symbols on the disc and on the board II. The pitcher indicator 31 is the first to be moved, either to Good Pitch or to Bad Pitch and in Figure l, the Good Fitch has been elected. The fielder now moves two of his indicators 36 to elected position, here shown as V L. F. and R. F. at the Play position. When these indicators were so moved, the colored indicators 24 are exposed through openings El and 63' representing the plays which have been made in the field and these would be visible to the batter, so that he may know that only two elections have been made. The batter now moves his disc 42 to an elected position, namely Left Field which would result in the plays as previously described.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that a "Good Pitch will always result in a strike when the batter Waits and will always result in a "Hit or Out when hit by the batter.

A "Bad Pitch will'always result in a ball when the batter Waits and will always result in a Foul Out or a Foul Hit when hit by the batter. A foul is charged against the batter as a foul strike and a Foul Out is charged as an Out.

Rules The fielder may play no more than two fields at one time.

If after plays have been selected and the play revealing disc has been moved to open position to disclose the plays selected, if the play indicator reveals more than two fields played by the fielder, this particular kind of play is not to be allowed.

A foul hit is a strike charged against the batter, except that it cannot be considered a third strike.

A foul out is an out charged against the batter.

A fair hit to S. S. is a one base hit; R. F. is a two base hit; C. F. is a three base hit; and L. F. is a home run.

Any other rules may be those of a regular base ball game.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that a game has been provided wherein the simulated game of base ball may be carried out and while I have shown and described a preferred construction thereof, this is by way of illustration 6 only, and I consider as my own all such modifications in construction as fairly fall within the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim:

A game board comprising a base member having a pitcher-fielder end and an oppositely positioned batter end, said pitcher-field end having notations R. F. and Play; Bad Pitch; Pitcher; Good Pitch; C. F.; Play; S. S. and Play and L. F. and Play; said batter end having notations R. F.; "0. F.; S. 5.; L. F. and Wait, a fielder indicator oscillatably mounted on said base member, there being one for each field position, a pitcher play indicator oscillatably mounted on said base and complemental to said pitcher notation, said base having a Hit notation for each fielder indicator to be concealed by respective indicators when moved to. the Play position, and exposed when moved to the field designation, each fielder indicator further having an Out notation positioned to align with the hit notation on the base when moved to the Play position; said base further having notations representing a Strike; a "Ball and a Foul, said pitcher play indicator having a slot to expose the Foul notation and further having a slot to expose the Ball notation, and cover the Strike notation when said pitcher play indicator is aligned with the Bad Pitch notation, said Ball n0- tation being covered and said "Strike notation being exposed when said pitcher play indicator is moved to Good Pitch position; an u right pin mounted in the medial portion of said base, a batter control member rotatable on said pin and positioned above said fielder and pitcher indicators, said batter control having openings positioned to align with the Hit notations on the base and with the Out notations on the fielder indicators at times; said batter control further having formed therein a Strike; Ball and Foul slot adapted to register with corresponding notations on the base, upon selected plays between the fielder, pitcher indicators and the batter control, a play revealing disc oscillatably mounted on said upright pin above the batter control and. having slots adapted to align with the slots of said batter control in one position of its movement, said play revealing disc further having openings arranged to register with indicia on the base for revealing the play position of the fielder indicators, and a top member on said upright pin above the play revealing disc and fixed to said base, said top member having slots in registry with the slots of the play revealing disc and having a vertically disposed shield member in. advance of the pitcher fielder end and said batter end.

HARRY P. HUTCHINS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,497,556 Drennan June 10, 1924 2,039,332 Morrill May 5, 1936 2,039,740 Sapp May 5, 1936 

